Words by: Ferdinand Oyono
Directed and Sets by: William Kentridge
Music by: Limpopo
In November 2022, The Broad and REDCAT present the world theatrical premiere of artist William Kentridge's play Houseboy developed at The Centre for the Less Good Idea in Johannesburg, South Africa. Based on the 1956 novel by Cameroonian diplomat Ferdinand Oyono, the performance explores themes of historical participation, archival memory, and post-colonial identity. This performance uses the protagonist's diary and personal experiences as source material for the narrative. South African performers are featured and a large charcoal drawing by Kentridge serves as the theatrical backdrop. Accompanied by live music and percussion, Kentridge's staged interpretation of Oyono's novel creates an immersive multimedia experience that muses on agency and trauma and directly folds into the artist's multidisciplinary practice.